Motion-picture-projecting machine.



1.o. cH`/ \I\/IBERS.l MOTION PICTURE`PROJECTING'II/IACHINE,.

rammed sept. 10,1918.V

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.I

APPLICATION FILED MR. IB, I9I8.

w/ TAM-.5656

JAMES C. CHAMBERS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MOTION-PICTURE-IROJEC'IING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 1 0, 1918.

` Application led March 18, 1918. Serial No. 223,106.

To all/whom t may. concern Be it known that I, JAMES C. CHAMBERS,

i a citizen of the United States,.residin g at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motion Ficture Projecting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX act description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof'.y

The present improvement isdirected to motion picture. projecting machines, these pictures as well understood in the art, being carried on films composed of highly inflammable material. .To secure the necessary projection a powerful light must be employed, the heat generated by such light being sufficientto ignite the film should the movement ofthe latter be arrested for any appreciable length of time during the. normal operation of the machine. Under the present state -of the art suitable provision is made to automatically interpose a shutter or shield in the path of the light raysthe moment- :the feed 'of the film is stopped as a.

resultof the stopping ofthe machine or motion head by which the film is advanced. So far as I am aware however, no provision exists for cutting off-the light rays in the event that the film breaks or becomes in any way disarranged or tangled While the motion head is in ope-ration as frequently is the case in practice; and unless the operator is alert and is constantly Watching the machine, the film, unless the light rays are at once cut ofi' or intercepted under the conditions specified, takes fire and is vthereby ruined or damaged. It is therefor the object ofmy 'invention to bring automatically into Laction a light Shield or cut-off which shall instantly drop or move into a position in the path of the light rays and thus 4cutoff the light and heat fromthe film until the latter may be readjusted by the` operator, As well understood in theart, the film winds on one reel and unwinds from another and is under tension Awhile in serviceA or in motion; and inthe `present embodiment of my invention l utilize. this tension for controlling notl only the actionof the shield or cutf off aforesaid, but also the action of the contacts or wipers which close the circuit that` conducts the current' operating the motor by which the film is propelled. Vhen anything therefore happens tothe film whichtends- 'L91 remOXQ the tension under which the same operates under normal service conditions, the shield or cut-off instantly asserts itself and the light rays are` intercepted so that the film can not take fire. The advantages of the invention will be fully apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- .Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a conventional motion picture projecting machine showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. Q is a detail showing an inner end View of the roller or idler carried by the weighted trippinglever, and an edge view of the film engaging said roller; Fig. 3 is =an enlarged side elevation of the bottom'set of connec-A tions entering` into the construction of the light-shield controlling mechanism; Fig. 4; is a horizontal sectional detail on the line l-i of Fig. 3, parts being in top plan; Fig.

5 is an enlarged transverse sectional detail y on the inclined zig-zag line 5-5 of Fig. 3;4 Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional ld etail on the line 6--6 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional detail of the shield-actuating mechanism only, on the zig-zag line 7 7 of Fig. l; and Fig. 8 is a detached elevational detail of the wiper supporting member of the actuating mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, L, represents a projecting lantern, H, the motion-head of film-advancing mechanism operated by the electric motor M, the film a unwinding from a reel or spindle in the magazine A, and winding on a reel or spindle in the magazine A, motion being imparted to the film and t0 the reels -by mechanism well` known in the art and shown more or less conventionally in the drawings. The film in its passage from the 'unwindingl to the winding reel is maintained taut, sufficient tension being im. posed thereon to preserve uniformity of Speed and positiveness of travel and prevent As well understood in the art the film passes in front of awindow u .through which the light rays 1" are transmitted in theirl passage through the film', said rays being automatically cut off or intercepted by a hinge plate it when the mechanism ofthe motion head comes to a stop. M v invention has for its object to cut ofi' the light (and heatlfrays while the motion head is in operation and under circumstanceswliei'e the film ma)Y accidentally tear or its ti'avel becomes arrested or is continued from the. unwinding reel without wrapping' on the winding reel. and in general in cases where the tension or tautness ot' the film is for any reason i'elaxed. .ln the present embodiment ofin v invention l. provide'tl ie outer wall ot' the magazine A with a plate or mounting` 1 to which is secured a stud 2. the projecting end of which supports a bent tripping lever 3 suitably weighted b v a weightv at on the long arm of' the lever, said weight being' adjustable along said arm and secured thereto by. a set screw 5 as showin A spring' could be substituted for the weight. short arin of the lever 23 and freel)v traversing a curved slot e in the plate l aiid wall ot' the magazine to which the same is secured. is a spindle (i the inner end whereof terminates in tl'ie magazine chamber (l and has mounted thereon a spool or idler 7 over which the film (1 passes. ln the normal operation ot` the machine the tension or tautness imposed on the film maintains the lever 3 in substantiall)Y the position indicated (Figs. l and 3) that is, it keeps the long arm ot' the lever in a raised position, said arin being free to di'op the moment the tension on the film is for an v reason removed or relaxed. The` outer reduced end of the spindle G which is secured to the short arm'of the lever freely traverses a slot l] of the carrying' the wipers or contacts if, which in the normal opei'ation of' the machine serve to engage the contacts ym, lm. to which lead the wires w, il', from any suitable source of electric energy, the wipers z", t, on the other hand having leading' tlierc'froni-v the fivires ai', ie, which directl)Y feed the cui-relitto the motor M. The contacts m, ni, arc'niounted on an insulating' block 11. the plate 1 being likewise of' insulating material.

Pivotallyv securedto the long' arm of the bell crank S is one end of a link 1Q whose opposite flattened terminal is provided with a seiies of holes 0 through an \7 oneof which may be pivotallyl coupled tov the link by means of a pin13 the adjacent arm of a sec 'ond bell crank lever 14, the free end of the` opposite arm being provided with a slot 8 through which, by vmeans of a pin 15 said arm may-be\loosel}7 coupled to the lower flattened end rof a vei'ticalljY reciprocating rod or, bar 16, said fiattened end being formed with a series of holes e through anyof which the'eoupling ina-y be effected. The

Coupled to the` or taking fire.

i'od 1G passes loosely through the platform lof the machine. the upper portion ofthe rod bein-g pivotalliv coupled to the short arm of a' verticall)v oscillating level' 1S which is in turn pivotally secured to the vertical leger' ra block 19 adapted to be set-screwed atY airfy desired point along the post or staff 2O leading from the platform 1T. Projecting' horizontally from the long arm of the lever IS a iod 21 from which is freely suspended or hung' the drop shield 22, said shield or cut-oli being' positioned to come in the path ot' the rays l', r, when dropped to its lowest position and thus intercept said rays' .before they can do harm to the film u.' under circumstances such as above related. /llhe operation of. the device is apparent from the drawings, but ma)v be briefl)v stated toibeas follows: dien the machine is in" [service and the film maintained taut or under y.tension in its passage from the reel ot one magazine to that of' the other, the spool or idler T bearing against the film holds the loupr arm of the lever 3 in a raised position. the intermediate connections between said lever and drop shield 22 holding the. latterrraised above the path of the rays rfi', issuing frnirthe hood B of vthe, projecting lantern L. allow-ing said rays to pass freely through the window u and through the film. In the event however, tliatanytliingr happens to the film so as to release the ten-I sion imposed thereon (for example a break in the film), the film being no longer under tension will release `the spool T allowing the. weighted leverarm'of the lever 3 to drop, said lever oscillating to the dotted position shownin Fig. 3, whereuponthrough the s several'link connections as described the rod 1G will be pushed upward. causing the lever 18 to oscillate in a direction todepress the long arm thereof and thereby automatically drop the shield across the path of the rays r, -r, so that in the event the operator is not on hand to stop Vthe motion head, the shield will cut off the light and heat .raysand thereb)7 save the film from odestruction At. the same time that the shield is' dropped into position across the rays 1', i', the' lever 8 with -its insulating plate or wiper supporting member 10 will be oscillated suflicientlyto withdraw the wipers f, t, from theiicontacts Am, m, so

lthat-*the motor M and motion head come autoniaticaly to a stop, the electric circuit having been broken. As soon as the film has beenrestored or the accident remedied l the parts :are reset. I may of course depart known in the art and require no description in the present connection.

Having ldescribed my invention what I claim is:

In a motion pictureprojecting machine, a traveling iilm maintained under tension, a lightsource, means for conducting the rays to the film, a fixed support, a weighted vertically oscillating lever having an idler on one arm thereof bearing against the film, a spindle for 'said idler, the fixed support being provided with alslot for the free traverse of the spindle,v a bell crank having one arm pivotally coupled vto the adjacent arm of the lever, a Wiper supporting member carried bysaid bell-crank,v contacts on the fixed support coperating with the wipers a motor in electricconnection with the Wipers, a source of'electi'icrenergy for the contacts, a link having one end pivotally se-v cured to the opposite arm of the bell-crank,

- a second vertically oscillating bell-crank o n the fixed support having an'arm pivotally coupled tothe opposite end of the link, a

vertically reciprocating rod mounted on the A fixed support and loosely coupled at its lower suspended from the opposite arm of the lever and adapted to drop across the path 3.o 4end of the reciprocating rod, anda shield of the light rays upon a release of the vrst mentioned lever by the film due to a removal or reduction in the normal tension imposed on the film, whereby the circuit is broken and at'the same time theshield drops into position to intercept the rays going to the film. l

` In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' A JAMES C. CHAMBERS. Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, Jos. A. MICHEL. 

